The 3-day program, titled The Decisions of Today, The Deals of Tomorrow was a signature event for the M&A community, providing clarity the growing stature of America's middle market.

"We're at a very critical juncture here in the United States, and you are our economy's heroes," Tatum told the gathering at the start of a data-rich keynote address about NO MAN'S LAND that exposed the hidden heft of the middle market's job creation engine. Watch a clip from the conference: